Like so many things its difficult to summarise how/what/why you reach a certain point or desire something. It is the accumulation of everything that has gone before it, so its going to be complex.
On two occassions I have started out on this walk, to hike it from one end to the other.
Its 82miles if you do it right apparently. So its not exactly a hardship to walk it, but it is long enough to test the sinew.
The first attempt was a failure, the weather simply was not kind. Better preperation would have helped but it would not have made the experience enjoyable. There is only so much fun you can extract from being soaked through walking in driving rain with mud up to your knees.
Being young and yet to learn the way of the world, there was a failure is not an option spirit still lurking within me (yes I really was that young once) so a few years later back on the trail.
This time the weather was kinder, it drizzled rather than bucketed down and there were times when the sun threatened to burn through the top of your hat.
Equipment was standard fair, ie whatever could be begged or borrowed (including boots which were too narrow a fit).
The walk itself was completed in the spirit of a route-march. Walking through most of the night at one point as the tent was so appalling and everything so wet and damp from the first night, walking was preferable to stopping.
The map being used was in fact an a5 sheet of paper with some pretty poor written instructions it is no surprise that although the beginning and end belonged to the Essex Way a lot of what went on in the middle of the walk was very much of my own making.
Three or Four days later (my recollection is hazy) back home and damn glad to be so.
So many years later there is still an element of dis-satisfaction about the whole thing.
Since those halcyon days, I have learnt failure is not only an option its the natural way of things but also there is something called "compromise". I learnt it in that order.
So now I embark on walking the Essex Way as a section hike.
A number of reasons:
I dont want to take the time off to repeat something already done.
I dont want to repeat the same failure of previous Essex Way jaunts, terrible weather or ludicrous walking schedules (possibly both)
Following on from the above, I wish to actually enjoy it.
Why do it at all?
Well it still feels like unfinished business. I dont know if a section hike is going to give me the sense of completion I am looking for, but there is only one way to find out. If it doesnt, I will simply have to thru hike it at some point.
So hopefully by the end of this year, I will be completing this little walk through the Essex Countryside.
The next instalment has me taking the first steps along the path.
The next instalment has me taking the first steps along the path.
No comments:
Post a Comment